Older Cat - vomiting
Older Cat - vomiting
I have a 16 yr old female indoor cat, Nutmeg. In June, I took her to the vet due to excessive diarrhea. She was diagnosed w/ an overactive thyroid. It took a couple of months to get the medication right & her thyroid levels back to normal. Then in Aug/Sept, she started vomiting 4+ times a day. It would be food to clear foamy liquid. (We do not have house plants & did not change her diet, cleaning products, soap, etc.) Back to the vet who had us stop food & water for 24 hrs. She put her on Reglan & Carafet & took blood. The CBC came back showing normal levels (except thyroid but she wasn't keeping meds down). Temp is normal. Urine/stool samples normal. X-rays show nothing. (Nutmeg cannot take antibiotics because they cause her to vomit.) Her diet was changed at vet's request to baby food, rice, boiled chicken & recently special gastrointestinal cat food from the vet. We finally got the vomiting down to 1 or 2 times a day, usually around 3:00 to 6:00 am & just clear liquid. The vomiting quite suddenly at the beginning of Nov. It started again 2 wks ago. Last wk she stayed at the vets for 3 days on an IV due to dehydration. We have her home & are giving her fluids every other day & her meds/special food but the vomiting continues. The vet suggested doing GI testing to see if anything is there but it did not seem that she thought it would give us an answer. Any thoughts or suggestions? Is this just old age & could her systems just be shutting down?
Glenda
Re: Older Cat - vomiting
Was an ultrasound discussed? If not, discuss it with your vet promptly. Hyperthyroid cats often have secondary health problems, such as renal, heart, IBD, etc that may go undetected if not checked for. An ultrasound may help rule out potential inflammatory conditions.
Is she currently on medication, and did your vet ever adjust her medication? Perhaps the dosing was too high, or that she couldn't tolerate the medication, in which your vet should have addressed an alternate medication. There are also transdermal medicated patches for hyperthyroid cats, ask your vet about it.
If you're feeding a prescription diet, consider trying another veterinary prescribed diet in the event the current one is causing GI tract upset. Feed a diet that is highly digestible, since hyperthyroid cats often have digestibility and metabolism problems. Also, if you're feeding canned, try dry instead, or vice versa.
Perhaps your vet is missing something, have you considered a second opinion with a more experienced feline-only vet?
Is she currently on medication, and did your vet ever adjust her medication? Perhaps the dosing was too high, or that she couldn't tolerate the medication, in which your vet should have addressed an alternate medication. There are also transdermal medicated patches for hyperthyroid cats, ask your vet about it.
If you're feeding a prescription diet, consider trying another veterinary prescribed diet in the event the current one is causing GI tract upset. Feed a diet that is highly digestible, since hyperthyroid cats often have digestibility and metabolism problems. Also, if you're feeding canned, try dry instead, or vice versa.
Perhaps your vet is missing something, have you considered a second opinion with a more experienced feline-only vet?
..........Traci
Re: Older Cat - vomiting
We have tried a couple different prescription foods both dry & canned. Canned seems to be tolerated the best. We have stopped the thyroid medicine again but so far it has not helped. I am going to contact the dr re: doing an ultrasound. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate a feline-only vet that is nearby so far. Thanks for your suggestions.
Glenda
Re: Older Cat - vomiting
I just wanted to post an update. The feline-only vet recommended that I increase the Carafate & give it 30 minutes before food or other meds. She felt that the vomiting was due to the thyroid medicine. After trying this for several days & putting her back on the thyroid medicine, her thyroid levels are back to normal, the vomiting has stopped & her appetite is back to normal. Hopefully, this is a long term solution but thank you for all your suggestions!
Glenda
Re: Older Cat - vomiting
Good to hear, I hope the situation is resolved.
However, if the vomiting reoccurs, please consider additional diagnostics to rule out inflammatory conditions or other related health problems. As a rule, you want to recheck her thyroid levels on a frequent basis to ensure the medication is working appropriately, and additional bloodwork to stay ahead of any other developing conditions often associated with hyperthyroidism.
However, if the vomiting reoccurs, please consider additional diagnostics to rule out inflammatory conditions or other related health problems. As a rule, you want to recheck her thyroid levels on a frequent basis to ensure the medication is working appropriately, and additional bloodwork to stay ahead of any other developing conditions often associated with hyperthyroidism.
..........Traci